First Yale Hockey Match

from a Harvard standpoint the University team was defeated 4 to 1. That the team improved later with the advent of the football men is evident from the fact that one day last month in practice Technology was beaten 10 to 3.

As the work progressed the weakness of the forward line became more and more noticeable. There was no one who could carry the puck as Hornblower did a year ago, and there was not the same coLcerted action among the players. Huntington was as fast as ever and extremely valuable in following back, but Duncan seemed neither as fast nor as clever as last year, when his chief value to the team was his ability to knock in rebounds. One reason for this is that this year there is no forward who can get all the way up the rink for a shot. The position of left wing was filled by Sortwell almost from the very start and, although he was not used to that part of the line, he has developed rapidly and works well with the other forwards. Right end presented the greatest difficulty for the coaches to solve for the only men on the squad who shot from that side lacked the requisite snap and dash. Pierce has played the position most frequently and, in spite of the disadvantage of shooting from the left, seems to get along very well.

Work During Christmas Recess.

During the Christmas recess the team went to New York to practice in the St. Nicholas Rink and, in a scrub game defeated the St. Nicholas Club 2 to 0. The second match of the schedule did not come until January 10, when Princeton was played in New York. The Tigers were known to be very strong and after the exhibition against Technology, few hopes for success could be held. The men fairly outdid themselves, however, and returned with a 3 to 2 victory. This triumph seemed to be sufficient grounds for believing that Princeton would be again defeated in the second game. Such was not the case, however, for just ten days later the team from New Jersey came to the Arena and exactly reversed the score of the New York game. Both games were clean, hard hockey and the only regret is that there was no opportunity to play off tie.

After Second Princeton Game.

The team was now at almost top form--Sortwell had shown much improvement on the wing, Huntington's following back was beyond criticism and the defence was almost impregnable. The two great defects of the organization were; first, the defence had difficulty in getting the puck out of the corners; and second, there was no one man who could dribble the puck through a whole team.

On January 27 Cornell came to the Arena and was defeated, 3 to 2, only after a hard struggle in an overtime game. It was in this game that Duncan for the first time this year showed flashes of his old time brilliancy. His speed increased, he was after the puck all the time and was second only to Huntington in following back. The following Wednesday the first game against a Canadian seven, St. Francis Xavier, was played and the University team came away victorious, 7 to 2.

The McGill Game.

During this week came the most serious setback of the season--Sortwell was called away for an indefinite period and Captain Huntington was taken slightly ill with a cold. The prospects for the Saturday game with McGill were indeed poor, until it was discovered on Friday night that Sortwell would be able to return to play in the game. This contest marks the highest point of the season so far. Sortwell's lay-off had apparently harmed him not a bit and the Canadian team, said to be one of the best in the Provinces was beaten 3 to 0.

Last Saturday Dartmouth was easily defeated 7 to 3, but Tuesday night, the B. A. A., beaten often in practice, proved to be the superior of the University team by a 2 to 0 score. Since that time the practices have been comparatively light and a slight slump in the team's work has been noticeable. Tonight, however, it is likely that the excitement of the game will key the players to a pitch sufficient to make them play the best game of the year.

Review of Yale Season.

Excluding two games with the St. Nicholas team of New York, the Yale University hockey team has played 14 games this season, winning 9 and losing 5. The season has included a three game series with Princeton, in which the team lost two games, another with Cornell in which the team won two games, and four games of the Intercollegiate League schedule. The other four games were with St. Paul's School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Massachusetts Agricultural College, and Springfield Training School.

After losing to the St. Nicholas team and defeating St. Paul's School 2 to 1 in carly December, the team spent the first part of Christmas recess in practice in the St. Nicholas Rink, New York. It then went to Cleveland for its series with Princeton, and from there to Syracuse for a series with Cornell. Princeton chiefly through the individual work of Baker won the first two games in Cleveland by decisive scores. In the third game, however, the Yale men playing with the one idea of keeping Baker covered, managed to win by a score of 4 to 3 in an extra period. Against Cornell, the team much benefitted by the experience gained in the Princeton series, won two games through good exhibitions of team work and in the third slumped badly losing by a score of 3 to 0. This game was the last on the Christmas trip.

On January 13 the new rink in New Haven was opened by a game with Technology which was won 5 to 3. Five goals were scored in the first half, but in the second the men were on the defensive practically all the time, and were forced to play their hardest to prevent a defeat.

The first league game was with Cornell in New York a week later. In an overtime period Yale won by a score of 2 to 1. Both sevens played raggedly and little or no team-work figured. After a mid-week game with the Massachusetts Agricultural College the most decisive game of the schedule came with Princeton in New York on January 27. Again the chief object of the whole Yale team was to cover Baker, and in this they succeeded, during the first half, although Carhart was given a number of difficult shots to stop by the Princeton forward line, and the Princeton forward-line generally meant baker. The half ended with the score 0 to 0. In the second half, however, the Princeton rover proved too elusive, and dodged through the forward line time and again. The defence, unaided, proved also powerless to stop him, and through his efforts four goals were scored, three of which he made himself. As a whole the Yale team displayed the best game of its year against Princeton, and a fair estimate of its strength may be based upon it.

The forward line is composed of good skaters who work well together, and shoot well. It is without any individual defensive star such as Huntington; and depends primarily on team-play. Of the four forwards, however, two are considerably above the average, Captain Harman and Cox. The defence, with Gore at coverpoint, plays a strong body-checking game, and is probably better than Princeton's; without Gore, however, it is weak as was shown in the Columbia game last Saturday. Carhart at goal plays an exceptionally good game when at the top of his form, but of late he has slumped noticeably. Taken all in all, the Yale team is a well balanced one, without any brilliant individual players, yet when at its best, capable of forcing any college team in the East to the limit.

Beside the Princeton and Cornell games, it has played Columbia and Dartmouth in the Intercollegiate League series, losing to the former 7 to 4, and defeating the latter 4 to 3 In both these games it was handicapped with a partially or entirely substitute defence.

Seats for Game Tonight.

There are still left in the Athletic Office some $1 seats for the Harvard-Yale hockey game, to be played in the Boston Arena tonight. There are also a few $2 seats. Standing room for the game cannot be obtained at the Athletic Office, but will be sold only at the Arena this evening.